Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-06


door. She was much distressed on hel
uncle's account, but did not fully real
ize her own loss Of fortune.
care you really better, dear Jack
she asked anxiously.
eyes, thank you. Quite cured.
Goodbye, and he was gone.
That her lovers leaye-taking was a
little abrupt did strike Maude; she was,
however, far too confused by the turn
affairs had taken to attach much i'm.
portance to the first circumstance.
When she returned to her uncle he
seemed wonderfully better, and at sup
per he talked quite cheerfully Of their
future.
Maude passed another sleepless night.
She did not so much mind the terrible
loss she had sustained on her own &C.
count but sire was bitterly disappointed
that she could not do all she bad pro-
missed for her dear Jack. She deter
mined, however, to be the most loving
and economical wife possible. At all
events her uncle would not be able TO
accuse Jack of being mercenary now,
and there was much comfort in that re-
Election. Perhaps after all they would
be able to have proper wedding, only
of course it would have to be very
quiet one How much nicer that would
he than trimming away and deceiving
her uncle, who had always been so kind
TO her.
When she came down to breakfast
the next morning she was looking pale
and httle'worn after her two sleepless
nights. The Major, however, seemed
to have succeeded in throwing off his
grief in quite wonderful manner, and
was in almost his usual spirits.
"Have you heard how Mr.. Browne
is this morning?" Maude ventured to
ask the landladys daughter.
"Why, Miss, he paid up for the
week and went off by the mail train
last night, declaring he was sure the
place didn't suit him."
Poor Maude The blow did indeed
fall on her with crushing force.
"Dear me, rather sudden We
shall miss the old gentleman-eh, Miss
Maude?" said the Major, as soon as
the uncle and niece were left together.
He laid slight stress on the adjective,
and there was suspicion of fun in his
eyes. 1t was, however, no laughing
matter to Maude she, poor girl, I'M
able longer to act her part, burst into
an uncomfortable fit of weeping.
Poor child, poor child said the
Major, compassionately; cts a sharp
lesson for you to learn. But it is better
to bear little pain now than to suffer
for the remainder of your life, as would
most probably have been your fate if |
had not paid that scoundrel ont in his
own coin.
The threatened loss of fortune was
all fabrication, Major Henderson
having gone no nearer to London than
the top room in Honeysuckle Cottage.
The truth was, the Major had dis
covered what was going on when he
had come upon the lovers so unex-
pectedly He then devised the scheme,
which he afterward carried ont so sue
cessfully, in order to test the sincerity
Of Lieutenant Mapleson's attachment
to Maude. Major Henderson had,
Of course, been obliged to take
the landlady into his confidence,
and she, fully entering into the
spirit of the thing, had suggested the
Majors occupying the top room in her
cottage, whence he could watch Mr..
Brownies movements. And so Major
Henderson had merely walked to the
station, portmanteau in hand, and, re-
turning. had entered Honeysuckle Cot
tage by the back way.
Maude's grief and humiliation were
so real when she heard these details
that her uncle, thinking she would not
care to remain where her story was
known, wisely suggestedreturning home
the following day.
1--WE can give n garden-party or
something of that kind in honor of your
twenty-first birthday. 1t will be few
days after the event, but that won't
matter. ] would give a good deal to
zee that young fortune-hunter's face
when he finds out how he has been
Iuped There's no fear of his title
tattling about it, though, for his own
sake, so the story won't get all over the
town. | suppose, my DEAR" added
Major Henderson, rather anxiously,
" you'll never let him again find the
way to your kind little heart with his
hOneyed words?'
Maude drew herself up to her full
height. "No, indeed, uncle. that l
never Will. To use his own words, | am
quite cured"
Before the year was ont another
sutton asked for Maude's hand, and on
this occasion the anxious pleader did
not have any cause to complain OF Ma
Tor Henderson's Obstinacy.